getting started and would love some help...

Hello everyone! I am new here and very excited about jumping in. First, I hope I am posting on the correct forum! This website is amazing, but I am still getting used to it.

A quick background. I've always been chubby and have always been dieting. Lots of yo-yoing, lots of this and that, and now I'm pushing 200 lbs on a petite 5'2 frame. I'm not healthy and I really want to make a change. I don't ever expect to be super skinny, but to be around 150 and eating for my health instead of my cravings it would be fantastic. If I could even drop 20 lbs by Christmas, I'd be thrilled.

I've been considering my options for a while now. I live a very hectic life - both my husband and I work outside the home and when we are home in the evenings we want to maximize the little time we have with two young kids. In the past I've done best with fairly strict diets, but lately I find my staying power isn't there because my life is just too busy to spend an hour every night preparing lunch and snacks for the next day. I also do not have the time to make two sets of meals (and the rest of my family does not need to watch their weight!) I considered getting food delivered, but from what I've heard from some posters here and from my own experiences, I think I have to develop healthy habits on my own or this won't stick.

So my plan now is to slowly introduce changes so I don't get diet burn out again. My habits up until now have not been the healthiest. A typical work day: healthy breakfast, then work until I suddenly realize I'm famished at 1pm or so. Not having packed a lunch more often than not, I go out and shovel in large amounts of whatever - falafel, jerk chicken, you name it. I feel stuffed and don't eat again until I get home around 5. Again I'm famished and snack before dinner, so I don't eat much dinner. Then I tend to snack on junk food at night and unwind with a glass of wine. Not great, I know! So here's my plan to start:

1. Bring to the office: 3 meals and 2 snacks during the day (dinnner left overs and whatever raw fruit/veg I have lying around); keep a few things at the office - yogurt, etc..)
2. Make sure to eat a fruit or veg with every meal or snack
3. Make sure every snack contains at least 2 food groups; every meal at least 3.
4. Improve quality of late night snacking, reduce and eventually eliminate
4. Drink a big glass of water before any meal or snack
5. Reduce alcohol consumption
6. Some form of exercise, 3x week.
7. Stock up (work and home) with some V8 one-shots and lean cuisine for the hectic times when meal preparation just doesn't happen.

Does this sound like a good start? I think this is something I can stick to as a start and then build on. I know that weekends will be a challenge as we never sit still, but I am hopeful feeling healthier will be a good incentive to continue.

I can see there is a wealth of knowledge here, so I am hoping you can share some with me. Please be brutal! Am I being to gentle with myself? Are there other easy changes I can make to help me along?

Hi and WELCOME!!! It sounds like you are really ready to make a change! And it sounds like you've really set some nice "rules" around diet and exercise.

Only you will know if it is too hard or too easy and you can tweak your program as you go along. The ONLY thing I would suggest is to make sure you are taking your portion size into account. But that can come once you have your plan basics in place and that this system will work for YOU.

welcome joma! I understand the crazy schedule situation completely. most nights I get home from work and the last thing I want to do is work on cooking dinner, never mind getting food ready for the next day! however, I eat much better if I do plenty of preparation. Instead of doing it nightly I pick a night, or maybe an afternoon during my weekend to spend and hour or two cooking up a bunch of boneless, skinless chicken breasts then put them in the freezer in ziploc bags. I also cook a batch of whole grain pasta and brown rice which you can store in plastic containers or ziploc bags in the fridge. The same goes for your veggies. The combinations are endless, grab a portion of chicken, measure out your pasta or brown rice, throw in a couple of veggies (steamed, raw or stir-fried) and some kind of seasoning and waa-laa, you have a lunch or dinner packed up in 5 mins!

Thank you for the advice and encouragement - I really appreciate it! I'm starting this plan for week 1 and working on better meal planning for week 2. I agree - portion control is key, especially since I seem to load up on rice or pasta. I'm also working on a rewards system - what I'm calling my JC fund (money I'm saving by not buying from Jenny Craig, lol...) I have plans to start guitar lessons, and to hire a babysitter for a night out with the hubby - whohoo! Hopefully that will help me to keep on track.

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